Final Crisis 2 Volume Set

Probably one of the most contriversial events of the decade DC handed the reigns of their universe over to Grant Morrison. The polarizing
universe wide event contained the multiverse, Monitors and the remaining Fourth World New Gods. It is well known for being the day evil won as Darksied took control of everything with the Anti-Life Equation. As time and space fractured the story frequently jumped from point to point much like changing the channels on a television.

As my first non Green Lantern DC event I enjoyed Final Crisis. To me it was an abstract love story to the comic art form. I liked it so much that I decided to go backwards and collect the other DC events to connect more of the dots that I may have been ignorant to.

Volume 1

Justice League of America 21
DC Universe Zero
Final Crisis 1
Final Crisis: Requiem
Final Crisis 2-3
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D 1-2
Final Crisis: Submit
Final Crisis 4
Final Crisis: Resist – *I put here because JL satellite is abandoned in FC 4
- at this point you should read vol 2 then come back here
Batman 682-683
Final Crisis 5-7
Final Crisis: Sketch Book
Final Crisis: Secret Files Extras

*It could also be placed before Final Crisis 4. Resist takes place over a month.

Volume 2

Final Crisis: Secret Files
Final Crisis: Revelations 1-5
Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge 1-3
Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds 1-5

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Rather than make a new post, I’ll put my map here for comparison, since it’s really not that drastically different. I was going for a one volume version, but not so far as to only include the Morrison material.

I know that JLA #21 probably should go before DCU #0, but I wasn’t as concerned about strict chronological order with this one, especially since Morrison wasn’t.

Technically, the Batman issues should go before #5, but I deferred to Morrison’s reading order. Figuring out Resist and Submit were the hardest — actually more Resist.

Originally I was planning on doing this in two volumes, with an interlude volume of Revelations, Rogue’s Revenge, and Secret Files (I was going to put Legion of 3 Worlds separate to go along with my Legion collection). The break point would have been after Superman Beyond #2.

The Director’s Cut has the original black and white art for #1. No colors, no text, just the pencils and inks. Then, it has the script to #1, and finally commentary on issue #1 by Grant Morrison and JG Jones. Really, the entire book is extras. It’s not like Marvel’s “Director’s Cuts” where it’s the issue printed in full, and then a few other supplemental items.

In this case, I appreciated DC for doing it this way, because it didn’t feel like wasting $5 on an issue I had purchased three months prior and only getting 50 cents worth of new material.

As for issue placement, Batman issues included, I carefully scrutinized the series for a long time before binding, and read a lot of message board postings. Normally I’m a stickler for strict chronology, but this time, I was more concerned with the narrative flow. And I want to say that technically, the Batman issues take place during #5, because there’s a scene with Darkseid’s minions early on in the issue that seems like it would take place before the Batman story.